The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-08-25
Mr.. Jenifer's Inheritance.

PAOHSAVy' Law AU"J % Aooo0A
announcing the fact lay before him.
beside the breakfast which he had for
gotten In the thought of this unex-
pected good fortune. .. 1t was not a
meagre breakfast, although Mr.. Jeni.
fer, at 6ve-and.forty was still only
curate on q stipend OF 915O per an
mum, for through the greater part of
his twenty years in holy orders he
had acted on the principles that if he
gave his time to the poor it was as
much as they could expect, and so if
they called Parson Jenifer "hard'
and "close," and preferred going to
the Vicar-why, that was not his
fault.
His inheritance consisted in a good
house and several hundreds a year,
and he sat and thought over the dii.
ference this would make in his future.
No more for him the daily service,
read as part of the days work-no
more visiting Of thriftless complain
ing, muddling poor, with whom ne
was completely out OF touch-in q
word, no more drudgeryl
Twenty years of drudgery! That
was what his life amounted to. Not
Tor him the spirit of love that softens
and the high thoughts that sanctify
daily tasks; only the grudging gift of
obligatory toll. 1t was written on his
face, in lines marked by 20 years-no,
not quite 2O-he had thought differ
emily at first-but by more than a
dozen years OF discomfort and repin-
ing. 1t was a pity, too, for the face
was one OF great possibilities, clouded
over by the dullness of heart that
tails to see through the service the
Master who is served.
Even now he had no regret for the
kind old friend who had left him q
goodly share of his property; no
thought that the hand which had ever
been ready to help him and many an
other was helpless now henceforth;
no spirit of gratitude for this last
loving gift-only a selfish pleasure in
his own good luck and feeling of dis
content that it had been so long in
coming. And thus thinking he rose
and went to see his Vicar to make ar.
rangements for the visit to the lawyer,
which must precede his taking pos
session OF his new inheritance.
He found no difficulty in obtaining
leave OF absence for the purpose. The
Vicar was kind and open-hearted
man and was pleased at his curate's
unexpected prosperity.
"Wsll. Jenifer," he said, II am very
glad for you, though you can't appre-
ciate it as much as if you had wife
and family dependent ON you. At
the same you have my hearty con-
CALCULATIONS"
"Ah," said MIR. Jenifer, "things gen.
orally come too late. Now if this had
happened when was ten years young
er, what difference it would have
made to mel"
"But your friends life was very
valuable one to many was it not?"
said the Vicar. "From all that have
heard OF him, l should think that
even now there will be plenty of people
to say that the end has come ten
years too soon. rather than too late"
"Why, Ire was nearly ninety!" said
Jenifer, as if the fact were rather a re-
proach to the old man. Then he has
:ened away to make his preparations
for leaving,
The Wears wife came in as the Gu
rate went out. She found her husband
gazing rather sadly into the dull
street.
"Mary, my DEAR" he said, lit is my
belief that after the miracles of the
loaves and fishes there were some
among the five thousand who com.
planned that the bread was stale and
the fish not so fresh as it might have
BEEN"
Meanwhile Clement Jenifer was
speeding on to London to see his law.
yer. He found there was one condi-
ton which he must fulfill before he
could call himself master of the house
and income. Mr.. Dacre had only will.
ed Waterdell Hall to him under the
proviso that he should pass one night
in the house entirely alone.
Mr.. Jenifer laughed when this clause
was read to him.
That 8 not a very hard thing to do, -
said he. But vas Mr.. Dacre's brain
softening when he made his will?"
mot at ALL" answered the lawyer
shortly. "Any one who saw Mr.. Dacre
in his last hour will tell you that
the dear old mans mind was as clear
to the end as in his best days. When
you go to Waterdell you will not
please your poor peighbors there il
you suggest to them that the man
who was so universally beloved was
crazy. Ihave no doubt this letter
which he instructed me to deliver to
you personally, will explain the mat.
ter"
This was. however, not the case
The note wae but short one, and
gave no reason for the testator's
wish, except that he had inherited
Waterdell Hall under the same stipu.
lation-that he had ever been thank
full for having carried it out, anl
hoped that though his friend Clement
Jenifer was older than he himself hac
been when he came into the property
("for," he wrote, with a touch of his
ordinary humor. II have been, lik,
Charles H., an unconscionable tim,
a dying," )yet, that solitary night
passed in his future home would prove
rs great a blessing to him as it ha6
been to the writer, and so, without
further explanation, signed himsel
his affectionate friend, Thomas Dacre
That was all. Clement Jenifer new
er liked being made ridiculous, and h
thought that this will went very nea
that possibility. Yet he could no
lose bis inheritance for fear OF bein,
absurd, so after certain business in
structions from the lawyer he went tt
his hotel for that night and mex
morning started for Waterdell. HI
put up at a little inn in the ueares
market town before proceeding to hi
destination, where, the lawyer had in
formed him, he would find all thing
in readiness to receive him for hi
lonely vigil, If vigil it was to be. TIL
inn was full Of farmers of the neIghbor
hood come in to the market. and aft